By Linda Horne
I decided I wasn't going to breast-feed long before I fell pregnant. It was something that didn't turn me on and something I knew I wouldn't feel comfortable doing.
Even though I only went up one bra size during my pregnancy, I hated my big "boobs" and couldn't wait for them to get back to their normal size.
Even the few jokes about my "big boobs" from my family and friends used to make me mad and self-conscious.
I did a lot of research into what was on the market regarding bottles and teats. As for formula, I decided to wait and see what would suit my babies once they were born.
Dale and Ashley were born seven weeks premature and both landed up in ICU on respirators to help them breathe.
Weighing 1,69kg and 1,9kg at birth, neither had any sucking reflex and had to be "taught" how to suck.
Sucking at such low weight makes such small babies lose weight, so this could only be started once they had reached 2kg.
So both my babies were 2½ weeks old before they could start to teach them to suck by tube-feeding them through their nose with a dummy in their mouth.
The problem with breast-feeding premature babies is you have to keep up your milk supply and having to express milk regularly so that your breasts don't become engorged with milk and to use when tube- feeding the babies.
Seemed like eternity
Premature babies also need very special milk which is very rich in nutrients to help the babies gain weight quickly. Sometimes your breast-milk cannot provide this.
Prem babies cannot be released from hospital until they reach 2kg which, believe me, seems like an eternity.
Dale and Ashley took 3½ weeks to reach 2,025kg and 2,065kg. The nurses and sisters at the hospital were fantastic, and none of them made me feel guilty in any way.
Dale and Ashley are very healthy children. They stayed on their formula until they were 3½ years old (their choice not mine.)
They have never suffered any bad chest infections, ear infections or gastro infections in the four years of their life.
So, for me "breast was not best" and I do not feel guilty about it. If you truly don't want to breast-feed, be firm about it and people will accept your decision.
Advantages of bottle-feeding multiples
- Your husband can help you feed at night. Your mother, sister, father, brother or older child can help you during the day (with breast-feeding you're on your own).
- You know how much they're drinking
- You can go anywhere and feed anywhere without feeling self-conscious or embarrassed.
Disadvantages of bottle-feeding multiples
- The cost of buying bottles and teats - and they need to be replaced every three months in the first year.
- Having to wash about 16 bottles a day.
- Having to make about 16 bottles of formula a day.
- Could become quite costly as formulas are expensive (but its really worth your sanity).
Hints and tips for bottle-feeding
- Before the babies are born choose two or three different types of teats. You may have to try a few before your babies decide on which suits them.
- Don't be too hasty to change formulas. It does take babies about one week to settle down on a specific formula. If babies do not settle down, seek advice on which formula to change to.
- Never use boiling water to mix your formula, as boiling water kills all nutrients and vitamins in the formula. Always use cooled boiled water. You could also burn your baby if you forget the water is hot!
- You can make up all your bottles for the whole day (this makes life a lot easier and is something hubby can do before disappearing to work for some peace and quiet). Place newly made cool bottles in fridge with lids tightly screwed on. Then use as needed.
- When feeding never lay babies flat as the milk runs into their ear passages and can cause ear infections. Always prop babies up with a pillow.
- Never leave bottles propped unattended in babies' mouths.
- Make sure the teat is always full of milk when feeding to minimise the amount of wind the babies suck in. Always hold the bottle upright and in line with the babies mouths.
- If new babies fall asleep while feeding, gently tap the bottle with your middle finger which will remind the baby to carry on sucking. Also give the bottle a slight twist to prevent a vacuum from forming when the baby sucks.
- Remember to burp babies at least three times during feeds, as a big wind can bring up a whole feed. Also check for wind by opening baby's mouth. If the tongue is stuck to the roof of the mouth the baby still has wind. Do not continue with feeding until this wind is broken. (Tongue will relax to normal position.)
- To wind baby, sit him or her sideways on your lap, support your baby's chin in your hand. Lean baby slightly forward, and firmly pat baby's back, alternating with rubbing up baby's back, until they burp.
I found the easiest way to bottle-feed twins on my own was to sit on the floor with my back against a firm chair.
Place your legs in a V-shape, place two pillows in the V to support babies' heads (heads at your knees, feet close to your body) and bottle-feed together.
You will have to stop to burp babies separately.
Hope these hints and tips really help.
- Contact SAMBA on 0861 432 432 or email [email protected].